Before Sidekicks
by kosmotis
Summary: Artemis grew up in Gotham, so it only makes sense that she remembers a time before Robin - a time before there were any sidekicks.


I don't own Young Justice.

_Artemis grew up in Gotham. It only makes sense that she would have seen Batman and Robin._

* * *

><p>Artemis remembers a Gotham without Robin.<p>

While she knows the majority of her team isn't aware of this fact, she does indeed live in Gotham city. Not only that, but she was born there as well. She's lived her entire life in the dark city overrun with crime and corruption. The dark city an equally Dark Knight protects

But she never really got that protection. Her father – and her mother, to a lesser extent – were criminals, the very vermin Batman sought to permanently remove from his city. Artemis lived in fear each day, worrying that a hero that she trusted (yet but of who she was scared) would catch her mommy and daddy, and then she'd be left all alone with no one but Jade. Sometimes she wondered _why_, if Batman was so great, if he could do _anything_…why couldn't he save her from the life she didn't want to live?

Artemis didn't want to be a villain. Perhaps it was childish of her to believe, but in her storybooks, the bad guys always lost to the heroes. She didn't want to be on the losing side. She wanted to grow up to be a good guy, saving people, having people _love_ her. She dreamed of Batman swooping in one day, snatching her off her feet as he brought her to a better life (years now, looking back, she shuddered at the idea of ever having the smallest crush on the Caped Crusader).

Perhaps that's what made it so painful when _Robin_ appeared on the scene.

It was all over the news – Batman takes on a partner! The world's first sidekick!

Everyone is starry-eyed over the young child (really, he's only eight or nine, tops), but Artemis can't help but hate him a bit. With Robin in the picture now, what are the odds that Batman will ever notice that she could be just as good of a partner? Her father's trained her since she was a child – practically since she could walk. There's no way a child like Robin could ever take her down in a fight.

Then one night, when she's half-asleep on the couch and flipping through the channels, breaking news comes through. Batman and_ Robin_ are battling against Killer Croc. She's moments away from just turning the television off when Robin _moves_.

It's not something that's easy to describe. He just flips through the air, flying with such grace - and for a moment, she forgets that she's watching a fight, because really this sort of talent belongs on the stage, or in the Olympics – and then Artemis suddenly remembers that it's a battle when Robin delivers a strong kick to Croc's jaw. And just like that, she's hooked. When the battle finishes, the only word that comes to her mind to describe Robin is _awesome_. Not awesome in the "Oh man, this is so totally wicked!" sort of way, but the awe-inspiring feeling of being in the presence of someone far greater than you will ever become.

She makes up her mind right then and there – she's going to become just as good as Robin. Maybe then, Batman will notice her, and take her away from the hellhole that is her life right now.

* * *

><p>Years later, and (of course) that partnership with Batman never happened. But now she knows the Dark Knight, and she knows Robin. She's well aware of the fact that while being a hero is <em>great<em>, she's pretty sure she wouldn't want to be Bats's sidekick.

As she notches another arrow, raising it to aim at a nameless thug, Robin does one of his gravity-defying flips and cackles. That lingering feeling of jealous tingles for a moment in the pit of her stomach (_it's no fair how can he move like that I thought girls were supposed to be more __flexible_), but she brushes it away with nary a thought. She's on a mission now, there's not time for such foolish thoughts.

Artemis is happy.

Happy that she's a_ hero_, one of the good guys. Happy that she's on a _team, _members that are more of a family than her own blood one. Happy that she made a name for _herself_, with her _own_ talent.

Happy that she's her own person.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Long time no see, peeps! Sorry you haven't seen me around that much...

Anyway, I don't really have any additional notes about the story.

Just thought I'd tell all you people who are still following me that I recently made myself a Tumblr. You don't have to follow me, but what I'm currently doing is posting snippets and previews for fics I'm working on. I'm trying to motivate myself to write more. If you want to see some of the progress I've made, check me out at **snippetsfromamelia(dot)tumblr(dot)com.**

Also, PLEASE. Anyone who wants to get in touch with me, please send me an ask on Tumblr! I rarely ever check my PMs here. Anon asks _are_ enabled, so feel free to ask me whatever you want.


End file.
